Laminated wall and partition structure



Oct. 22, 1957 I v N. NELSSON LAMINATED WALL AND PARTITION STRUCTUREFiled Oct. 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ BY Wedm 4 Oct. 22, 1957N. NELSSON 2,810,166

LAMINATED WALL 'AND PARTITION STRUGTURE Filed Oct. 11, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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United States Patent ()fitice 2,810,166 Patented Oct 22 T95? LAMINATEDWALL AND PARTITION STRUCTURE Nels Nelsson, Chicago, IlL, assignor toUnited States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication October 11, 1952, Serial No. 314,300 3 Claims. (Cl. 20-4)The present invention relates to a wall or partition structure.

More particularly it relates to a laminated wall or partition structurein which a base layer of plasterboard or wallboard is applied to asuitable support whereafter a ,top or covering layer of relativelynarrow vertically extending wallboard panels is applied in close edge toedge contact, and adhesively secured to the first layer, the resultbeing a dry wall structure which is immediately ready for finishing.

The popularity of using wallboards for interior surfacing of dwellingshas increased considerably in recent years. The use of wallboardsfrequently referred to as dry wall has a number of advantages overregular lath and plaster, such for example as lower cost. It can beerected by semi-skilled labor, requires no appreciable drying, and doesnot seriously mess up floors and other areas during application such asis experienced with plaster. While the so-called dry wall system hasmany advantages, there are several disadvantages which, if they could beovercome, would greatly enhance the utility of such a system ofconstruction.

One of the outstanding disadvantages is the condition known as nailpopping, a term given to the difficulty sometimes encountered with nailswhich, while driven flush with the board surface during erection, workthemselves out so that they extend above the surface.

Another difliculty frequently experienced with dry wall construction isthat known as photographing. This is the term given to the discolorationover the head of nails which takes place after the nails have beenpainted and in place for some time. The nail-heads appear to have adifilerentcolor on the surface than the remaining wall. This is highlyobjectionable. Many attempts have been made to overcome conveniently theabove difiiculty, with but little success. to stop the above, is tocountersink the nails below the board surface to an appreciable depthand then cover the hole with cement or other types of plastic. Whilethis is successful in solving the problem, it is expensive and alsogreatly reduces the supporting efiect of the nail; for the papersurface, in the case of a gypsum board, is a major factor in thestrength of the sheet. When this outer paper surface is broken andforced into the core, the nail-holding ability is greatly impaired.

I Another serious defect of the dry wall construction is the unsightlyappearance of the joints. Because of the poor appearance of the jointsand the size and shape of the present wallboard, it is usually desirableto make the wall smooth like plaster. In order to accomplish this, thejoints are covered with a paper tape and a cement is troweled over thisto give the desired plaster-like finish. It is diflicult to obtain asmooth wall in this manner, as considerable skill is needed in coveringthe joints so that they will not be readily detected. Anotherdisadvantage with most wallboard construction is that the supportingstuds must be in a common plane and in line, for otherwise a wavyappearance will be given to the wall.

One method, which has been found It is therefore an object of thisinvention to disclose a dry wall system which is free from nail pops. IIt is also an object of this invention to set forth a wallboard systemwhich is entirely free from photographing.

It is a still further object of this invention to disclose a wallboardsystem which does not require the supporting studs to be substantiallystraight and which does not require the wallboard joints to be covered.

It is also an object of this invention to disclose a novel method oferecting wallboards.

Various other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art inwhich this invention is a part.

The objects of this invention are carried out by use of the well-knownsystem of applying two layers of wallboard but in a manner entirelynovel, and hitherto unknown to the art; vThe invention is illustrated intwo sheets of drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view with certain parts removed and others insection so as to reveal the exact construction, using metallic studding;Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, except that it shows the use ofwooden studs and joists; .Fig. 3 is a drawing, on an enlarged scale, ofthe edge of two abutting gypsum core paper covered wallboard panels orplanks with their rounded edges in such;cloise contact as to smash ordeform a portion of the edges;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a number of the wallboard panels inthe process of having adhesive applied thereto by means of a specialscreedingtooL' and Fig. 5 is a perspective drawing of the said tool.

One of the outstanding features of the present invention resides in thefact that the wallboards are erected verticallyin the form of relativelynarrower panels so that the eifect will be like that of so-calledplanking which is commonly used when knotty pine interiors areconstructed.

' It has been common, within the last ten or twelve years, to line roomswith vertically extending fiberboard paneling without any attempt tohide the joints, but rather to depend upon the joints to afford apleasing panel etfect. Thus, insulation board planks of varying widths,say, 16, 14 and 12 inch widths, may be assembled in certainpredetermined sequence so as to obtain vertical lines spaced apart.Usually where the planks meet there is an inwardly extending V-shapedgroove which quite often, by reason of its shadow effect, gives theefiect of being of a different color. So far as the inventor is aware,such a construction has, however, been restricted to fibrous plankingwhich is provided either with a tongue and groove or a shiplap type ofjoint and where each board, after being interlocked with the previousboard, is then blind nailed, the second board being applied so as toconceal the nailing of the first board. Gypsum core wallboards, aspreviously obtainable, would not lend themselves to such a construction.

' The present invention avoids all these difiiculties, and makes itpossible to erect a wall from a combination of plaster-board orwallboard and gypsum core panels in a simple, effective, quick andinexpensive manner.

As used in the present specification, the term plasterboard is used todesignate an artificial board of the type usually employed as a base forthe application of plaster thereto, i. e., where the board is used as asubstitute for wood lath or expanded metal. Wallboard is used todesignate artificial boards of such a nature that they may form theexposed surface of a room, either with or without applied decoration.Both types come in various sizes, such as 4' x 12', 4 x 8', 4' x 4, 16"x 48", etc.

In erectinga wall in accordance with the present invention, there mayfirst be erected, for instance as shown in Fig. 1, suitable verticallyextending metallic studs 6 which are secured in well known manner to ametallic base rail 7 which maybe, for instance, nailed by means of thenails 8 to a horizontally extending sole plate 9. Horizontally extendingwallboards 10, preferably of the type which have a gypsum core and papercover sheets, are atfixed to each other and to the studs 6 by means ofthe well known oppositely extending clips 11. No particular attentionneed to be paid to the lengths of these wallboards provided only thatthey form a first or base layer, which is collectively numbered 12 inFigs. 1 and 2. In case wooden studding is used as is shown in Fig. 2,there are first erected the usual wooden studs 16 which are nailed atthe bottom to the sole plate 19 and which may also be secured to a topplate 20. To the studs 16 there are nailed in the usual manner thewallboards 10 forming the aforementioned base layer 12. After the baselayer 12 is in place, elongated paper covered gypsum core wallboards,which, because of their relatively narrow width I prefer to call panelsand which may be conveniently 12, 14 or 16 inches in width, and whichare usually furnished by the manufacturer in the form of a bundle 21(see Fig. 4) have applied to the reverse side 22 thereof ridges 23, forinstance three in number, of a suitable adhesive, these being applied bymeans of a special screed 24, which has rearwardly and inwardlyconverging side walls 25, the front wall 26 being slightly rearwardlyinclined and provided with a plurality, for ex ample three, ofsemicircular notches 27 for the escape of the cementitious or adhesivematerial 28 contained in the screed 24.

There is a distinct advantage in thus applying adhesive as will beapparent from the further operations described hereinbelow.

Referring for the moment to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the wallboardpanels 30 consist of cover sheets 31 and 32 with an intermediate gypsumcomposition core 33. These panels are provided on both longitudinalsides with rounded edges 34 and 35. After the adhesive has been appliedto the rear surface 22 of a panel 30, this panel having first been cutso as to coincide with the height of the intended wall or partition, thepanel is erected and pressed against the base layer 12, and if ithappens to be the first one, is pushed into contact with the abuttingwall or at least is placed on the extreme left, as shown in Figs. 1 and2. The next panel is then coated with adhesive and applied against thebase layer and is then slid laterally, for example to the left, untilits rounded edge abuts against the rounded edge of the previously placedpanel, enough force being used so as partly to smash any irregularitiesof the rounded edges of the panels, as can best be seen from the contactarea 36 in Fig. 3. This smashing together of the rounded sides producesa substantially straight line of contact 37 which therefore lendsthewall a pleasing appearance.

If desired, the panels may be as wide as 4 feet, but ordinarily anarrower width gives a more pleasing effect. However, the invention isnot limited to any particular dimensions although preferably a gypsumwallboard in total thickness is the most advantageous. It should also beunderstood that the directionof the boards in the. base layer 12 neednot necessarily be horizontal, although for most purposes this isdistinctly advantageous.

If panels had been used which had been provided with what purports to bestraight edges, the crack between adjacent panels would have beenirregular, because it would vary noticeably in width so that the edgesat the joint would appear to be wavy.

I have discovered, however, that if rounded edged panels are used, of athickness of, say, about the adjoining edges, when they are rounded,will first touch at certain points and will be mutually smashed inslightly thus allowing the hollow portion to touch or come so closetogether that the eventual crack or joint between adjacent panels willnot appear to be irregular in width.

Inasmuch as that portion of the edge which is smashed extends outnormally of the crack, it is not noticeable particularly after thepanels have been painted or otherwise decorated. The panels when paintedprovide a very pleasing effect; the V-shaped vertical lines formed bythe abutting edges of the board create anillusion that the ceiling ofthe room is higher than it really is.

It will be understood that the exposed surface of the panels may beeasily decorated. Thus, if originally paper sheet covered gypsum boardpanels are used, these may be painted, although it is within the scopeof the present invention to employ predecorated panels such as have asurface imitative of knotty pine, wormy cypress, wood grain, cloth, orthe like.

Any suitable adhesive may be used for alfixing the boards to each other,but an adhesive having the following formula has been found to beparticularly advantageous because it can be furnished to the user in theform of a dry mixture, which is stirred with the requisite amount ofwater to provide the adhesive:

. Percent Casein 8.0 Soy flour 2.0 Trisodium phosphate 2.0 Sodiumpentachlorophenate .4 Hydrated line 1.6 Asbestos floats 15.0 Fine dryground mica 15.0 Ground limestone to make up to If desired, although notessential, the vertically extending boards may be nailed to the topplate 20 and the sole plate 19, because these nails will not be visiblein the ultimate wall, as it is quite common to use a mopboard at thebottom of the wall and a picture molding, or the like, at the top.

By employing the present invention, it is entirely unnecessary to coverthe abutting joints with a crack filler and tape, as has been customary,and also no nails need be used in the top layer except if desired at thetop and bottom, as just mentioned. A wall thus constructed is ready foruse substantially immediately after it has been erected so that there isno waiting for plaster to set and dry.

I am aware of the fact that plasterboards and wallboards have beenlaminated together by the manufacturer quite often in such a manner asto provide a shiplap joint, but this is quite a different idea thanproviding a wall or partition structure with the vertically runningpleasing appearing joints.

The really important feature is the use of the rounded edge gypsum corepanels and the pushing together of adjacent panels with sufiicient forceto slightly smash in or crush portions of the rounded edges thereof soas to provide the straight appearing joint 37.

I claim:

1. A wall construction comprising a plurality of studs arranged inrelatively spaced, substantially parallel, relation, a plurality offirst panels secured to said, studs and arranged in abuttingedge-to-edge relation to form a first course, and a plurality of secondpanels having rounded edges of irregular contour longitudinally and acrushable gypsum core, said second panels being secured to the exposedsurface of said first course and disposed in abutting side-by-siderelation to form a second course, the abutting edges, of said secondpanels being in crushing contact with one another to form asubstantially closed joint.

2. The wall construction recited in claim 1, wherein said second panelsextend substantially the full height of the wall and the abutting edgesof said second panels form substantially linear uniform-appearing closedjoints.

3. The wall construction recited in claim 1, wherein each of Said secondpanels has the gypsum core thereof paper-covered and each second panelis adhesively s- 2,440,936 Elmendorf May 4, 1948 cured to the exposedsurface of said first course. 2,531,128 Hobbs Nov. 21, 1950 2,556,884Muller June 12, 1951 References Cited in the file of this patent2,566,563 Hartung Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 FOREIGN PATENTSg i i 3;; 541,733 Great Britain Dec. 9, 1941 Z 540,302 Great BritainOct. 13, 1941 2,291,498 Odell y 1942 v 940 99 France June 14 1942,342,682 Miller Feb. 29, 1944 10 2,395,186 Jones Feb. 19, 1946

